Chord Melody with only a pick?

[matt.guitarteacher]

A Modern Method For Guitar by William Levitt changed my right hand picking and improved my rest stroke technique which was conducive to playing chord melody with a pick. In addition the book has clever chord solo arrangements to learn from and to add ideas to ones tool box. I suggest you look into that book if you haven't already.

For example, here I am playing one of the exercises in that book:

It's definitely a CM rest stroke clinic. Great to see a Frank post, by the way! :-)

[goinbaroke]

Good job, just like JS, I'm a pick only guy too!!

[eh6794-2.0]

Gilad has a different jazz style than traditional players, but it's still solo guitar and he uses a pick

[christianm77]

Hybrid picking is cheating.

[eh6794-2.0]

Hybrid picking is cheating.

True, but most YT jazz fingerpickers don't have the coordination to make it sound good.

[Skip Ellis]

I think Bucky P. uses only a pick for everything. Personally, I use a hybrid - pick and or fingers as needed.

[christianm77]

True, but most YT jazz fingerpickers don't have the coordination to make it sound good.

Not sure if I got that - did you mean they don't have the coordination to make hybrid picking sound good?

[Doublea A]

Hello,
Can chord melody be played solo with only a pick?
Perhaps hybrid picking in some places.
If yes, do you know of famous players that played chord melody with mostly pick only?
It seems that all I find in chord melody is fingerstyle.
I know I must learn chords first but I am trying to immerse myself in chord melody, at least listening for now
since I will only play solo.
Thanks,
Ronald

Yes. I use a pick all the time. I do use the hybrid picking technique. I feel that I have better control of the dynamics with a pick in my hand.


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[joe2758]

tal farlow is ok at it

[goinbaroke]

Tal sounds great with a pick only!

[Drumbler]

Here's a nice rendition of Autumn Leaves by pick...

[rNeil]

I've seen that blonde Tal is playing in that vid, but always been curious: what is that extra pickup right next to the neck pup, and how wired in?

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[brad4d8]

"Legends" Johnny Smith and George Van Eps solo guitar. Smith even manages to flatpick two classical pieces, Norteña by Gomez-Crespo and Romance de los Piños by Torroba.
Brad

[papaj77]

I suggest checking Julian Lage solo stuff, he mostly uses a pick and he is amazing, so melodic and effrtless

[goinbaroke]

"Legends" Johnny Smith and George Van Eps solo guitar. Smith even manages to flatpick two classical pieces, Norteña by Gomez-Crespo and Romance de los Piños by Torroba.
Brad

I have a pick Johnny Smith gave me at the old Band Box in Denver years ago, I was a regular there when he played solo gigs, the pick is a little thinner than most, maybe a .75 or so, it looks like Tortoise shell but probably just plastic.

[ronjazz]

When Bucky P. was younger, in a duo with George Barnes, he played his Gretsch 7-string finger style. Looks like as he got older he went to pick-style more and more.

[pingu]

Chord melody with a pick ?

Barney innit

[Johnpiazza]

Bucky Pizzarelli is a good example of someone who did both, or rather, one then the other. He spent most of the 70’s developing a fingerstyle solo and comping method for his duet albums, inspired by Van Eps on the 7 string. By 1980’s Love Songs (probably my favorite solo jazz guitar album) a hand injury forced him to play single strings, first with his thumb, and then with a pick. It wasn’t until he was playing with a pick that he really developed a more improvisational approach to these arrangements. I have collected my thoughts and findings here:
Bucky Pizzarelli's Fingerstyle Recordings (1971-78) - John P. Piazza, M.A.

[Johnpiazza]

One more: I really like how Jerry Case would go back and forth between fingerstyle and plectrum, really taking advantage of the effects of both techniques even within one tune. From the few videos out there, he seems to do standard hybrid picking, but from just listening, I thought he was using a thumb pick.

[Rgblutone]

Kenny Burrel plays some beautiful CM with just a pick, Grant Green also plays some amazing CM just pick, think George Benson as well played the odd solo piece with just a pick.

[Johnpiazza]

Rgblutone, I've been listening to those tracks. They are few and far between, but among the most popular of those artists' tunes on Spotify, which says something about what people (especially non musicians) enjoy listening to. Here are the songs that stand out, and are mostly ballads (all available on Spotify)
Kenny Burrell:
Jump for Joy
Warm Valley
Lost in The Stars
Soul Lament
But Not For Me (a nod to Chet Baker's version, but slower)
Blues in the Night

Wes Montgomery:
While We're Young
Mi Cosa (live)

George Benson:
From Now On

Barney Kessel:
Alfie, from the solo album

I have all these and a bunch of similar tunes collected in a playlist on Spotify called "guitar project." my profile is "johnpiaz"

[Rgblutone]

Hi John
Yea you pretty much covered them all, don't have Spotify or I'd have that playlist on repeat. Saw somebody mention elsewhere Johnathan stout on another post and he plays some nice early swing chord melody style.

[TF]

I prefer to play chord-melody with a pick.

It is key for me to be able to mute any of the strings at any time with my left hand. I can do this now, after 60 years of playing guitar. Strumming across 2 to 6 strings and muting as necessary, so that the melody pops out at the top, chord fragments at the bottom.

Once in a blue moon I attempt using RH thumb and fingers, but it doesn't feel comfortable.

[Jonah]

I like that specific texture that chord-melody has with the pick only. I think there are lots of players who do that (sometimes with a bit of hybrid picking): Kessel mentioned abover, Kenny Burrell (concert LP Tenderly ais all solo guitar), Peter Bernstein, Bucky Pizzarelli, actually most of old school players... Bill Frisell does kind of occasional hybrid, John Scofield switches to fingers but I would not say he really does it fingerstyle, the conception is still much like a hybrid playing.

Jimmy Bruno does some virtuoso hybrid stuff with fast walking bass line and everything on his solo guitar LP. Of course he does hybrid picking but the conception is still like the pick is his main tool.

[JazzPadd]

Great thread with some truly beautiful music! Thanks for keeping it alive.

Kenny Burrell has already been mentioned, but this is one of my favorite of his chord melodies rendered with a pick:

He’s done other versions with a pick, too, but I chose this cause it shows the picking.

Here’s another recording:

Every time I’m feeling less than enthusiastic about playing guitar, I listen to this to remind me what an incredible instrument it is.

His versions of Spring inspired me to do a couple of my own, also with a pick, one on an archtop and another on a solid:

Ironically, I’ve since abandoned using a pick and turned to the thumb, adding occasional fingers, but that’s another story.

Edit: Fixed video link.